We've Only Just Begun...

I forgot to mention, that every morning in the hotel restaurant, we find ourselves immersed in music from the early 70's:  Karen Carpenter,  Neil Sedaka, some Johnny Cash. The same music repeated every day.  The experience is so predictable that we can take bets on what's coming next.  Personally, I find it pretty amusing and am amazed that I remember nearly all of the words to every song that we hear.  Marty, on the other hand, doesn't seem to favor the same musical tastes as I do and if it weren't for the scrumptious porridge that he knew awaited his arrival, he'd probably insist that we grab something quick and get away from the music.

So for now, Marty is subjected to watching me bop my head to the music, often singing along, while he enjoys his porridge.  Hey, it could be a LOT worse!

Breakfast was even more exciting today when our waiter  surprised us with a big bowl of fruit, including grapefruits, bananas, grapes and strawberries, along with a scrumptious tray of some Scottish cheese, one resembling a Stilton and the other similar to a Brie.  Yummy!

Today's adventure involved taking the train into Edinburgh.   We picked this hotel because it was within walking distance of the Kirkcaldy Station.  I was surprised to find it was only a block away.  So, I headed out, and with the help of some locals, I managed to get off at Waverly Station in Edinburgh.  I found myself at the opposite point of my intended destination, and so began my day of walking.

The weather was fabulous.  A bit nippy, but not a cloud in the bright blue sky. It was the perfect day for walking around, and I took advantage of that and decided to walk up Calton Hill, something we missed on our August trip.  Before climbing the steps to the top, I popped my  head into the Old Calton Cemetery Grounds and spotted Abraham Lincoln.  I was intrigued by his presence in Edinburgh and soon found out that he stands upon a memorial to the Scottish Soldiers that fought for the Union during the Civil War.

Leaving the cemetery I headed towards the long set of steps that lead to the top of Calton Hill. Looking up, it's hard to miss what appears to be Greek columns at the very top of the hill. This is actually the National Monument and it was erected to honor the men who died during the Napoleonic wars.  It was never completed due to lack of funding.

With the weather being so accommodating, I could really enjoy the sights on the hill and those from the hill as well.  

The monuments look striking with the bright blue background

                                   

 and the sky was clear enough to see for many miles.

                                       

My next item on the agenda was to walk to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Although the day would have been perfect to stroll through that park, I decided to forego that adventure since I  had read that the Greyfriars church was a must see, and in the winter it is only open one day a week, on Thursday,  from 1:30 to 3:30. Since this would be my one opportunity to visit this venue, and since it is on the opposite side of  the town, I decided to head in that direction.  My plan was to visit the church then head to the National Museum and possibly have lunch in the cafe.

Much to my surprise, I made it to my intended destination with over half an hour to spare.  So, I walked up and down the street looking for somewhere that looked good to have a bite to eat, and I actually ended up in a restaurant that had no name on the outside. The host was quite welcoming and I immediately felt comfortable with stopping here for a bite to eat.

The man led me to a table that was next to a party of five, and I wondered why he squeezed me in so close when there were so many other tables open.  He had me sit on a cushy sofa and pushed the table in front of me.  I took a look at my surroundings, and when I looked to the left,  I realized just why he had given me that seat.

Can you believe the view !  There is no way from the street that one could predict that this little restaurant was situated in such a way that one could admire the castle on the hill.  How fabulous!

And, the food was excellent, too!

After enjoying every bite and relaxing for a few minutes, I headed out, around the corner, to the Greyfriar's church only to find it closed. I questioned a workman on the grounds, since the sign distinctly showed the same hours that I had expected, and very soon the proprietor came out to tell me that the church would only be open for services since there were renovations being completed during the winter.  He suggested that I come back next Thursday at 1:00 for the service, and then I could admire the interior.  Forget that idea!

Luckily, the National Museum is literally across the street.  With the admittance being free, one would find it hard to come up with an excuse not to explore this vast expanse of historical items.  In fact, I was a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. The museum takes up a full block in one building.  One could wander around for days, I'm certain of that!

I decided to stay in the Scottish history section, although I did find myself among hanging sea animals at one point.  Must have wandered off the Scottish Trail!  I attempted to make some sort of rationale out of the order of items.  I began to wonder if the displays were set up similar to the driving.  Since Scots drive on the opposite side of the road than we do, does one read library artifacts from right to left instead of vica versa?  I decided that it didn't really make much difference. It just didn't seem to follow a timeline.  One minute I was looking at a replica of Mary Queen of Scot's coffin, and just behind my shoulder was a door frame from Kirkcaldy with the year 1756 emblazed in gold on the top.  If you know your history, it's obvious that the two events are not related.  I only managed to get through three floors of Scottish history, which encompasses less than a quarter of this place.  I may put it on one of my rainy day lists as a possibility.  That will depend on how my feet hold out!

The plan was to meet Marty at the Balmoral Hotel at 6:30 p.m. The museum closed at 5:00 but by 4:45 I felt it was time to head out.  My intent was to stroll slowly and try to bide some time on the way.  The destination was quite a distance from the museum, and I figured that I'd use up a lot of time walking.

Despite stopping along the way to take photos of the Castle at Dusk,

and popping into some stores to do some window shopping, I arrived at the Balmoral at 5:20p.m.
My slow-walking idea was foiled when I soon realized that when one strolls along in this town, one is approached by a variety of people wanting you to have a bite at their restaurant, see their show, buy their garments, etc.  I couldn't be bothered dealing with this harassment and decided that it was best to ask for mercy from the Balmoral and see if there was some place where I could "hang out" until Marty arrived for dinner.

In a nutshell, the Balmoral is a "fancy schmancy" place to visit.  The Maitre d' is dressed in a tuxedo, and had a thick french accent.  Our waiter had one as well, but I honestly think it was fake.

In any event, the staff set me up at the Palm Court tea room where I enjoyed a delightful pot of Earl grey tea, with, much to my surprise, arrived with three of their delectable, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies.  Really, could you ask for more?  

Well, it appears that Marty could: